Farmer Dave's CSA

 Can I just tell you...I love Farmer Dave's CSA!  I love CSAs period!  A CSA is Community Supported Agriculture.  Members in a CSA give a certain amount of money before the growing season, so the farmers have the money they need to get the crops started without having to take out loans.  In return for your money you get a weekly share of vegetables.  It all depends on how the farm does what you get.  It is local seasonal eating at it's best.  The vegetables are nothing like the bland tomatoes and cucumbers that you find in the grocery store produce aisle that flew or was driven thousands of miles to get to you.  Your CSA veggies were most likely picked the very day you pick them up, if not the night before.  They are tasty, and vibrant, and loaded with nutrients.  Look at the color of these radishes.  I have never seen radishes like this at the grocery store. 

 This was one of our first salads of the season. I think it was probably the best salad I ever had.  They send us a newsletter either the day before, or the morning of pick up, letting us know what we are likely to get in our share for the week.  I love to cook and experiment with food and different cookbooks, so it is exciting getting vegetables we have never even had before, and enjoying them in many different ways.  I will get into more about the cookbooks in another post.  If you are trying to incorporate more fresh, healthy foods into your diet a CSA is definitely a great way to do so.  You meet many new people as well.  It's nice to see the community come together for good.

Aidan used to be a picky eater...well I take that back, he still can be a picky eater.  He has gotten much better since we started going every Tuesday to pick up our share.  The child who would only eat carrots, cucumbers, and mashed potatoes, is turning into a little dinosaur.  He loves helping us pick out our vegetables.  One day when we came home he said "May I please have some fennel Mama?"  He walks around with plain leaves of red, green, butter, and romaine lettuce.  He likes fennel. parsley, white radishes, of course the carrots and cucumbers, he loves the corn on the cob again.  He wouldn't touch blueberries for a few years, and now he could eat a whole pint.  I'm not saying he likes all of it.  I was surprised he didn't like the sugar snap peas and peaches, but he is expanding his palate and likes to talk to people about our farm.  I am grateful for that!  I know that I am now a CSAer for life.  Thanks Farmer Dave!